Angered by the election defeat of Donald Trump, his supporters entered the US Capitol building after turning barricades and clashing with police as Congress held a joint session to count the Electoral College votes, which would clear President-elect Joe Biden’s path.
In the chaos unleashed by the angry mob, a person was shot and wounded inside the Capitol, in Washington.
“Pro-Trump mob scaled walls, knocked over barriers, and occupied the Capitol for hours. The unrest continued, even as President Trump asked for protesters to remain peaceful, and Vice President Mike Pence asked for the group to disperse,” reported the New York Times.
The Washington Post reported about a white female shot in the shoulder, while a CNN report mentioned that "woman dead after rioters stormed the halls of Congress to block Biden's win”.
The violence put the Capitol on lockdown, as Vice President Mike Pence rebuffed the president’s demand to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. An angered Trump asked his supporters to march to the Capitol, and as the demonstrations flared the law enforcement authorities struggled to maintain order.
The Guardian reported: “Footage from inside the building showed that some pro-Trump rioters had reached one of the doors to the Capitol and smashed out the glass. A group managed to make their way to the atrium of the Senate Rotunda, carrying Confederate flags. The Capitol police were outnumbered and seemed to melt away”.
In a bid to pacify the angry mob, Trump tweeted, “I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!”
President-elect Joe Biden also took on Twitter, to state that the scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not represent America and that only “a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness”.
